A Silver Creek Christmas

The sound of the shot barely had time to register in Sara's head when Joe hooked his arm around her and dragged her to the ground. Protecting her once again as the bullets started coming. Thankfully, they didn't seem to be coming their way.

But Coburn did.

He ducked around the side of the building, just ahead of them. Coburn had his gun drawn, and his gaze rifled around, no doubt looking for the shooter. Was it Lamar out there? If so, then he was trained to killed, and maybe that's exactly what he had in mind. Of course, it could be just another hired killer.

"Come on," Joe said, drawing his gun and taking her by the arm. Her truck was much closer than the sheriff's office so that's the direction they headed.

"Watch out!" Coburn yelled, but the sound of his voice was drowned out by more gunfire. And this time it wasn't aimed at him.

But rather at Joe and her.

That put her heart right back in her throat, and Sara could have sworn she felt the heat from the bullets slamming past her. Joe didn't return fire, probably because he didn't know the location of the shooter, but he threw open the truck door and shoved her inside.

"You see him?" Sawyer called out. Sara got just a glimpse of him and Grayson as they hurried out the back of the building, ready to help.

"No," Joe answered, and he pushed her down onto the floor of the truck. He followed behind her. Good thing, too, because the next shot tore through the door where they'd just been.

Sara looked around for something she could use to help defend them, but Joe just pushed her right back down. The next shots shattered the truck's back window and pelted them with chunks of the safety glass. It didn't cut her, but Sara figured it was just a matter of time before those shots tore into the cab of the truck.

Where Joe could be killed since he was shielding her with his body.

Mercy, she couldn't bear the thought of his dying to save her. She couldn't bear the thought of his dying, period.

"The gunman's up the street by the diner," Coburn shouted.

Despite the fact that the shots were still coming, Joe lifted his head and looked out through the gaping holes in the rear window. He cursed. "The shooter's getting away."

Good. Sara wanted him long gone, and the shots had stopped, but with that thought came another. The shooter would no doubt just regroup and come back for another attack. That time, he might even succeed.

"Wait here with her," Joe said, and it took her a moment to realize he was talking to Grayson and Sawyer.

Before Sara could say or do anything, Joe's cousins hurried toward her.

And Joe hurried away.

Sara could only watch as he headed straight in the direction of the person who'd just tried to murder them. The guy turned, taking aim at Joe, but Joe dove right at him, both of them plummeting to the ground.